Sailing Made Easy Articles

Understanding the deck of a sailboat is all part of learning to sail. Essentially, the deck of a boat is both your office and your supply cabinet, from the helm, to the cockpit and stowages, the sidedeck, foredeck where the anchor is stored, and obstacles on the deck that need to be navigated as you sail.

It’s safe to say a sailboat is only as good as its sails when you consider that capturing the wind’s energy is the premise behind what sailors do to propel their boats in a forward direction. A good captain will trim those said sails to be as efficient as possible and the proper heading will help with overall performance, but

When you take ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing, your instructor will reinforce many safety lessons in the curriculum. You will become so well versed in safety terminology that your ability to sail safely and confidently will be rooted in the basic mechanics of being aware while on a sailboat and underway. However, there are a few things that you should

The keel is a fixed appendage on the bottom of the hull that provides the sideways resistance needed to counter the force of the wind on the sails. The keel also carries ballast, usually iron or lead, the weight of which counteracts the force of the wind that causes a sailboat to heel, or lean over. On a modern boat,

Heaving to (to heave to and to be hove to) involves parking the boat while out at sea. It’s easy to do but it takes a little practice as every boat is different!

The official book of ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing is a must for any person interested in the lifestyle of sailing.

In 2014, ASA will release Bareboat Cruising Made Easy, the latest in our line of cutting-edge sailing books. But before the book can be published, we need to find the perfect cover photo. We’re leaving no stone unturned in the search for the best photos depicting the bareboat cruising lifestyle, and we want our members & fans to be in on

There are many sailing books on the market, but if you read them all you’d never have time to actually, you know, go sailing. This blog will give you the 411 on the books ASA offers so you can decide if they’re right for you. (Spoiler: If you want to go sailing for fun, they are.) First, a little history.

Mark Twain once said: “The man who does not read books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” And so it goes for sailors. In addition to hands-on training and practice, one of the best ways to prepare yourself for life on the water is to read and study great sailing books. So, as an alternative to